Gas burning cigarette lighter

ABSTRACT

The invention is concerned with a gas-burning cigarette lighter having an ignition mechanism of the kind in which gaseous fuel is ignited in an ignition zone downstream of a burner nozzle by means of a spark generated between a pair of electrodes by the impact of a hammer with a piezoelectric element, one of the hammer and element moving under spring action into engagement with the other of a hammer and element. The mechanism is operated by manual movement of an actuating member from the rest position to an operative position in which part of the actuating member lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating member is in the rest position. The operative movement of the actuating member causes firstly one of the hammer and element to move with the actuating member and away from the other one of the hammer and element to provide or to increase the impact stroke and to cock the mechanism and secondly one of the hammer and element to be released so that it is free to move under the spring action.

United States Patent [72] Inventor William Retfler Woodend, Wlekham. Enghnd [2|] Applv No. 807,585 [22] Filed Mar. 17, 1969 [45] Patented Sept. 7, I97] [73] Assignee Tetra Moleetrk Limited London, Enghnd [32] Priority Mar. 26, 1968 [33] Great Britain [31 1 14552168 [54] GAS BURNING CIGARETTE LIGHTER 3 Claims,6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. 431/131, 43l/l 32, 431/255 [Sll Int. CL F231 2/16, F23q 2/28 [50] FieldotSearch 431/131, I32, I43, 255. 256

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,200,295 l2/l962 Owens et al. 451/132 X 3,408,]53 l0/l968 lshiguro H Primary Examiner-Edward J Michael lnomey- Holcombe, Wetherill 8t Brisebois ABSTRACT: The invention is concerned with a gas-burning cigarette lighter having an ignition mechanism of the kind in which gaseous fuel is ignited in an ignition zone downstream of a burner nozzle by means of a spark generated between a pair of electrodes by the impact of a hammer with a piezoelectric element. one of the hammer and element moving under spring action into engagement with the other of a hammer and element, The mechanism is operated by manual movement of an actuating member from the rest'position to an operative position in which part of the actuating member lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating member is in the rest position. The operative movement of the actuating member causes firstly one of the hammer and element to move with the actuating member and away from the other one of the hammer and element to provide or to increase the impact stroke and to cook the mechanism and secondly one of the hammer and element to be released so that it is free to move under the spring action.

GAS BURNING CIGARETTE LIGHTER This invention is concerned with gas-burning cigarette lighters having an igniting mechanism of the kind in which the gaseous fuel is ignited in an ignition zone downstream of a burner nozzle by means of a spark generated between a pair of electrodes by the impact of a hammer with a piezoelectric element, one or other of the hammer and element moving under spring action into engagement with the other. in operation an actuating member is operated by manual force, causing the spring to be stressed to cock the movable part whereafter the movable part is suddenly released allowing it to move towards the other part.

in lighters with igniting mechanisms of this kind the sparking voltage, and hence the efficiency of the ignition, depends upon the impact reaction which the piezoelectric element receives from the hammer. This in turn depends upon the momentum and hence the speed of the moving hammer or element at the moment of impact and its speed depends on the distance through which it is free to accelerate under the action of its spring before striking the other part. It is therefore important that, at the instant the moving part is released to move under the action of its spring, the hammer and element are as far as possible apart within limitations imposed by the size of the lighter. In the past this has led to the design of lighters with longer dimensions than would be desirable to satisfy aesthetic considerations in order to allow the hammer or element sufficient room to move. The object of the invention is to eliminate this problem and to enable the dimensions of the lighter to be reduced, without reducing the stroke.

Accordingly to the present invention, a cigarette lighter has an igniting mechanism of the kind described in which the igniting mechanism is operated by manual movement of an actuating member from a rest position to an operative position in which part of the actuating member lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating member is in the rest position, the operative movement of the actuating member causing firstly one of the hammer and element to move with the actuating member and away from the other one of the hammer and element to provide or to increase the impact stroke and to cock the mechanism and secondly one of the hammer and element to be released so that it is free to move under the spring action.

in this way there is extra space available as a result of the operative movement of the actuating member and this extra space is usefully used in the impact stroke. The mechanism can therefore be housed in a smaller body.

The benefits of the invention are obtained equally well irrespective of whether the piezoelectric element or the hammer moves with the actuating mechanism and irrespective of whether the part which moves with the actuating member is the part which subsequently moves to strike the other part or not. The movement of the hammer or element which moves with the actuating member is preferably substantially as long as the impact stroke. There will then be a maximum saving in space since, in the rest position, the hammer or element will be sandwiched closely between the shell of the body and the element or hammer.

The part which moves with the actuating member is preferably mounted within the actuating member which is movable away from the burner nozzle and ignition zone to operate the igniting mechanism. In this way, as the actuating member is moved backwards, the element, or preferably the hammer moves with it, and within it, to provide the extra stroke, whilst still being concealed within the actuating member.

Preferably an assembly incorporating the one of the hammer and element which moves with the actuating member also moves outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating member is in the rest position. By an assembly incorporating the hammer is meant for example, a hammer head which actually engages the element and a shank which guides the hammer if it moves. An assembly incorporating the element may consist, for example, of the element proper, a backing piece and an insulating housing for the element.

In order further to overcome the above-mentioned problem in a lighter in which the operative movement of the actuating member is away from the ignition zone, an assembly including the one of the hammer and element which does not move with the actuating member may occupy the ignition zone and move out of the ignition zone under the spring action into engagement with the part which has moved with the actuating member to perform the operative stroke.

in this way at least part of the stroke necessary to provide the momentum for producing the ignition spark is accommodated within the ignition zone which is wasted space until the spark is discharged to ignite the flame.

The movable assembly may be located in the ignition zone in the rest position of the lighter or it may be cocked into the ignition zone prior to release by the actuating member.

Two examples of lighters incorporating the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the first example with the igniting mechanism in vertical section showing the mechanism in its rest position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. I but showing the igniting mechanism in the process of being operated;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 but showing the ig' niting mechanism fully operated; and

FIGS. 4 to 6 are views similar to FIGS. l to 3 but of the second example.

The lighter of FIGS. 1 to 3 has an outer casing provided by a shell 4 and a thumbpiece actuating member 5 which are complementary with one another and define the total outline of the lighter body. Mounted within the lower pan of the shell 4 is a gaseous fuel reservoir tank 6 having an inlet valve 7 and a burner 8.

The igniting mechanism is housed on an action carrying plate 9 and within the thumbpiece 5. A piezoelectric element assembly consisting of an element 10 mounted in an insulating housing 11, is fixed on the plate 9. The element 10 is electrically connected to an electrode 12 and to the burner 8 which forms the other complementary electrode. The thumbpiece 5 supports an inner part 13 through rubber mounting blocks 14. The inner part 13 has a downwardly projecting profiled web 15, a pair of downwardly projecting ears 16 which support between them a pin 17, and a second pair of downwardly projecting cars 18 which support between them a pin 19. The pins 17 and 19 run in slots 20 and 21, formed in upwardly bent side portions of the plate 9. The bottom surfaces of the slots 20 and 21 act as cam surfaces and the pins 17 and 19 as cam followers to guide the thumbpiece 5 as it moves backwards and downwards, as shown also in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the upper edges in the slots 20 and 21 act to locate the thumbpiece on the rest of the lighter. A helically coiled tension spring 22, which is anchored between a fixed lug 23 on the housing ll, and a hooked portion 24 on the inner part 13, urges the thumbpiece 5 to its rest position shown in FIG. 1.

A nose 25 on the profiled web 15 overlies one arm 26 of a lever so that as the thumbpiece 5 is moved backwards and downwards against the action of the spring 22, the lever, is rocked about its fulcrum 27 and its other arm 28, engaging beneath the nozzle 8, raises the nozzle and opens the burner valves so that fuel gas flows out through the burner from the tank 6.

A hammer assembly consisting of a hammer had 19 and shank 30 is mounted so that it may move horizontally above the plate 9 by means, firstly, of a pin 31 which extends horizontally through the head 29 and into slots 32 in the upwardly bent side edges of the plate 9, and, secondly, by means of an aperture 33 in an upwardly bent rear end wall of the plate 9 through which the shank 30 is slidable. A helically coiled tension spring 34 is trapped between the bent end of the plate 9 and the head 29 and urges the hammer to the left into the engagement with the adjacent end of the element 10.

moved to the right with the thumbpiece against the action of 5 the spring 34 by the engagement of the pin 31 in a part circular notch in a second nose 35 of the profiled web 15. This cocks the hammer assembly and FIG. 2 shows the fully cocked position in which the end of the shank 30 is also outside the confines of the body in the rest position of the lighter shown in FIG. 1.

Further final backward and downward movement of the thumbpiece 5 causes the nose 35 to ride on its resilient mounting over the pin 31 so that the hammer is suddenly released and accelerates forward under the action of the spring 34 into impact with the end of the element 10. The nose 35 snaps over the pin 31 owing to the curvature of the lower cam edge of the slot 21. The sudden striking of the element l causes it to pro vide between the nozzle 8 and electrode 12 a voltage which is discharged as a spark 12a igniting the fuel gas which is then issuing from the nozzle 8 to produce a flame 36.

The flame is automatically extinguished when the thumbpiece is released since the thumbpiece returns to its inactive position under the action of the spring 22 and the burner valve shuts under its own internal spring so that the parts automatically resume the FIG. 1 configuration.

The second example, illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, has an outer casing provided by a shell 37, which houses a gaseous fuel reservoir tank 38, and a thumbpiece actuating member 39. The tank 38 is fitted with an inlet valve 40 and a burner valve 41 leading to a burner 42. The thumbpiece 39 contains a piezoelectric element assembly consisting of an element 43 mounted in an insulating housing 44 with a backing piece 43'. The assembly is fixed on a mounting plate 45. One end of the plate 45 has an upwardly extending flange provided with an aperture 46 through which there slides the shank 47 and head 48 of a hammer assembly. The hammer is constrained by a pin 49 and slot 50 to move horizontally and is urged by a spring 51 into engagement with the element 43. The element 43 is electrically connected to an electrode 52 which is embedded in a mass of insulating material 53 fixed within the thumbpiece, and to the burner 42 forming a second electrode.

The thumbpiece is movably mounted on the rest of the lighter under the constraint of a return spring 54 and pins 55 and 56 which move in pairs of cam slots 57 and S8. The pin 55 is carried by a pair of ears 59 depending from the thumbpiece and the corresponding slots 57 are formed in cars 60 projecting upwardly from a mounting plate 61. The pin 56 is supported between ears 62 projecting upwardly from the mounting plate 61 and the slots 58 are formed in ears 63 depending downwardly from the thumbpiece.

Upon operation of the lighter, the thumbpiece 39 is pressed backwards and downwards away from the burner 42, carrying the electrode 52 and the element assembly with it. As the thumbpiece moves it rocks a bellcrank lever 64 which causes the burner 42 to be raised so that the valve 41 is is opened and fuel is discharged through the burner 42 from the tank 38. As the thumbpiece 39 continues to move to the right as seen in FIG. 4, the hammer 48 is constrained by engagement of the pin 49 with a cam profile 65 on the thumbpiece to remain stationary so that the element 43 moves away from the hammer whilst the shank 47 slides through the aperture 46 compressing the spring. This is shown in FIG. 5. At a predeter mined position the cam profile 65 rides off the pin 49 releasing the hammer which then accelerates under the action of the spring 5] into impact with the element 43, as shown in FIG. 6. This impact produces a spark 520 between the electrode 52 and the burner 42 which ignites gas in the ignition zone 66 above and around the burner 42 so that a flame 67 bums through a flame aperture formed above the burner by withdrawal of the electrode 52 with the thumbpiece 39. Subsequent release of the thumbpiece 39 causes the parts to return to their rest position under the action of the spring 54.

in this case it will be appreciated that in the FIG. 1 rest position there is no available stroke between the hammer 48 and the element 43. When the thumbpiece 39 is moved away from the burner the rear end of the thumbpiece and part of the element assembly moves beyond the plane of the sidewall of the casing 37, that is outside the confines of the lighter body in the FIG. 1 rest position. This provides the stroke for the hammer when it subsequently moves into impact with the element 43. it will also be appreciated in the rest position the free end of the hammer shank 47. as well as the electrode 52 and its carrier 53 occupy a part of the ignition zone 66 above and around the burner 42. However, both these parts move out of the ignition zone during the stroke which causes the ignition spark and consequently are clear of the ignition zone before sparking takes place. In this way the stroke of the hammer is partly accommodated by moving the thumbpiece and element assembly outside the confines of the lighter body in the rest position and partly by using the otherwise wasted space in the ignition zone.

I claim:

1. in an ignition mechanism for a gas-burning cigarette lighter having an ignition zone and comprising a hammer member and a piezoelectric member, one of which members forms part of a movably mounted assembly, and spring means biasing the other of said members toward the member forming part of said movable assembly, and in which a fuel-igniting spark is generated between a pair of electrodes by impact between said members, the improvement which comprises actuating means mounted for movement from a rest position in a direction away from said ignition zone to an operative position in which part of the actuating means lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating means is in the rest position, said actuating means being connected to thereby move said movably mounted assembly into a position in which part of said assembly also lies outside the confines of the lighter body as hereinbefore defined, thus first moving the member forming part of said assembly away from the other of said members and compressing said spring, and then releasing said spring-biased member, whereupon said spring means drives said last-mentioned member into engagement with the member which has moved with the actuating means away from said rest position.

2. in an ignition mechanism for a gas-burning cigarette lighter comprising a burner nozzle, a hammer member and a piezoelectric member, one of which members forms part of a movably mounted assembly, and spring means biasing one of said members toward the other member, and in which a fueligniting spark is generated between a pair of electrodes by impact between said members, the improvement which comprises actuating means including an actuating member which extends across the top of the lighter with one end adjacent the burner nozzle, said actuating means being mounted for movement from a rest position in a direction backward and downward away from the noule to an operative position in which part of the actuating means lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating means is in the rest position, said actuating means being connected to move said movably mounted assembly into a position in which part of said assembly also lies outside the confines of the lighter body as hereinbefore defined, thus first moving the member forming part of said assembly away from the other of said members and compressing said spring, and then releasing said spring-biased member so that it is free to move in response to said spring bias toward the other end of said members.

3. in an ignition mechanism for a gas-burning cigarette lighter comprising a hammer member and a piezoelectric member, one of which members forms part of a movably mounted assembly, and spring means biassing one of said members toward the other member, and in which a fuel-igniting spark is generated between a pair of electrodes by impact between said members, the improvement which comprises actuating means mounted for movement from a rest position to an operative position in which part of the actuating means lies LII said spring, and then releasing said spring-biased member so that it is free to move in response to said spring bias toward the other of said members, and said actuating means comprising a member defining a recess which receives the part of said assembly which is moved to a position outside the confines of said lighter body as hereinbefore defined. 

1. In an ignition mechanism for a gas-burning cigarette lighter having an ignition zone and comprising a hammer member and a piezoelectric member, one of which members forms part of a movably mounted assembly, and spring means biasing the other of said members toward the member forming part of said movable assembly, and in which a fuel-igniting spark is generated between a pair of electrodes by impact between said members, the improvement which comprises actuating means mounted for movement from a rest position in a direction away from said ignition zone to an operative position in which part of the actuating means lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating means is in the rest position, said actuating means being connected to thereby move said movably mounted assembly into a position in which part of said assembly also lies outside the confines of the lighter body as hereinbefore defined, thus first moving the member forming part of said assembly away from the other of said members and compressing said spring, and then releasing said spring-biased member, whereupon said spring means drives said last-mentioned member into engagement with the member which has moved with the actuating means away from said rest position.
 2. In an ignition mechanism for a gas-burning cigarette lighter comprising a burner nozzle, a hammer member and a piezoelectric member, one of which members forms part of a movably mounted assembly, and spring means biasing one of said members toward the other member, and in which a fuel-igniting spark is generated between a pair of electrodes by impact between said members, the improvement which comprises actuating means including an actuating member which extends across the top of the lighter with one end adjacent the burner nozzle, said actuating means being mounted for movement from a rest position in a direction backward and downward away from the nozzle to an operative position in which part of the actuating means lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating means is in the rest position, said actuating means being connected to move said movably mounted assembly into a position in which part of said assembly also lies outside the confines of the lighter body as hereinbefore defined, thus first moving the member forming part of said assembly away from the other of said members and compressing said spring, and then releasing said spring-biased member so that it is free to move in response to said spring bias toward the other end of said members.
 3. In an ignition mechanism for a gas-burning cigarette lighter comprising a hammer member and a piezoelectric member, one of which members forms part of a movably mounted assembly, and spring means biassing one of said members toward the other member, and in which a fuel-igniting spark is generated between a pair of electrodes by impact between said members, the improvement which comprises actuating means mounted for movement from a rest position to an operative position in which part of the actuating means lies outside the confines of the lighter body as defined when the actuating means is in the rest position, said actuating means being connected to thereby move said movably mounted assembly into a position in which part of said assembly also lies outside the confines of the lighter body as hereinbefore defined, thus first moving the member forming part of said assembly away from the other of said members and compressing said spring, and then releasing said spring-biased member so that it is free to move in response to said spring bias toward the other of said members, and said actuating means comprising a member defining a recess which receives the part of said assembly which is moved to a position outside the confines of said lighter body as hereinbefore defined. 